  Sasha Baron Cohen as Borat.
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I pity the fool who tries to make a decent movie out of a TV series. Dukes of Hazzard anyone? Bewitched? The Mod Squad? It’s Pat? The odds are not good. But with The A-Team now playing, here are five TV-to-film adaptations that worked:
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006): Characters from Da Ali G Show don’t translate automatically — see Bruno — but this send-up of all things American manages to be both hilariously filthy and socially astute.
The Fugitive (1993): Terrific performances from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones elevate the man-on-the-run material for a thriller that’s smart, riveting and dramatically satisfying.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): A sequel to the episode Space Seed, this remains the funny, poignant, exciting pinnacle of the franchise; its influence can even be felt in last year’s Trek reboot. The Untouchables (1987): Brian DePalma’s period piece is grandly entertaining, with sensational work from Robert De Niro and, especially, Sean Connery.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999): Trey Parker and Matt Stone actually improve upon their cult TV series, with an animated musical that’s as outlandish as it is hummable.
kevin.williamson@sunmedia.ca
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